It would be almost impossible, wouldn't it? Building up speed takes a lot of repetitions. It's just such a unique motion it's not like just working out and getting strong is enough to throw that hard. I just can't see many people who aren't actively throwing often being able to hit 80. I would think those who have the best chance might be QBs at the college level or higher. Then just maybe other various huge athletic freaks in other sports who might have inhuman physical abilities.

And anyway the difference between 90 and 80 is monumental.

Mid 50's to 60's off the street maybe pushing 70 with some training (as an average obviously there will be some outliers). Average MLB infielder is throwing it across the diamond only in the low 80's. Also, I'm kind of assuming these throws have to be somewhat reasonable.

How fast do you think someone that's 6'4" 250lbs and has thrown a regulation football 70 yards in the past 6 months could throw a baseball. Hasn't played baseball since 9th grade and is currently 25.

i think if i were setting a line i'd probably make it like 82

You are probably correct. My parents had video evidence of me throwing, catching and hitting relatively flat tosses that predates my memory (2 yo).
When I grew up virtually every boy played alot of baseball until high school. My perspective on this question is likely a bit skewed as a result.

Pitching is a unique motion where speed is more dependent on mechanical coordination than sheer strength. During my senior year in high school I was a scrawny 6' 4" and 170 lbs. At that time my velocity was likely a product of long limbs and repetition.

The difference between even 85 and 90 is monumental. In our county of 10 baseball teams only one pitcher could consistently hit 90 and he was drafted out of high school only to wash out 2 years in.

I don't know if it is the same today but a far higher percentage of left handed college pitchers were drafted when I played no matter how hard they threw.

There's a relatively big difference between guns so that's important. Also, how is the contest held? One throw in street clothes? Full warm up then a best of five? Has the guy not thrown a baseball since the 9th grade and is he not allowed to throw a baseball between now and the bet?

Off my head yeah somewhere in the low to mid 80's is a decent line but there are a lot of variables that can move it significantly.

ETA - Another thing is I was betting on the guy I'd be worried about his hand size. Obviously he's got an arm but most guys who can even think about throwing a football that far have really big hands and that can work against you some with a baseball.

he'll get a full warmup and can wear whatever he wants but he's gotta throw it off the mound from a windup. he'll get 10 days to train however he wants.

why did he stop playing baseball? did he pitch?

played football (QB) and basketball in HS and at his school it'd be virtually impossible to play 3 sports with all the offseason stuff for football

i only read the first page before im typing this, but damn that first page was annoying, esp that dkjojackets dude or w/e the **** his name is

"you might of been looking at the mlb translation, no one was throwing 80"

yeah buddy, the kid on Mexico was 100% hitting 80mph...every single year there is a dude that runs it up from 78-83. The kid on Kentucky like 8 years ago was hitting 80-83 regularly. So ****ing tilting that clowns have no idea what there talking about jus running there dick sucker.

From a windup off a mound I take the under easy.

If I had the over, I'd want 77. If I had the under, I'd want 83.

I would take out a small loan on u83.

<--- 5'9'', can grab rim (sometimes)

Does he get 1 pitch?

discussing this at the moment. probably will be best of 3 pitches

Yeah, he'd probably be much better off just taking a crow hop and firing.

I don't know how easy it is though. Guy sounds like quite the athlete and he has 10 days and doesn't have to worry about anything but the mph. What kind of training is he likely to get? Has he had any arm trouble? Is he in shape and just a hoss or is he fat now?

Also, how many throws? Is it full warm-up and then one pitch or can he throw a few and take his best effort? Does it have to be a strike/close to a strike?

Also, I mean you know the guy better than us. Did he have an absolute rocket cannon in football or is he more of a big hoss who could just get some air under one now and then and crank out the distance?

3 throws from a windup, I would say the o/82/83 is a huge dog. The 10 days of training doesn't even matter, plus it is really only around 7-8 days of training, if he is doing heavy throwing every day for 10 days without throwing a baseball since the 9th grade he has no chance.

He's pretty athletic. He plays serious pickup bball (as in with college level players) a few times a week and plays in a decently competitive flag football league every fall. Works out 4-5 times a week in the weight room. Definitely not a fat guy. Throwing a football he's got a gun, but I don't have much to compare it to really (never casually thrown a football with anyone with as much arm strength). He can definitely throw a football on a line a substantial distance (not really sure how far as I'm not so good gauging that).

As for training I have no clue what he'll do, but I think he'd take it pretty serious and knows a few minor league players so can maybe get help there.

Day of the bet would be set up like this:

Arrive at field, stretch for 15 minutes, have 30 minutes to do whatever he wants to prepare (warm up, etc) but can't leave the outfield grass. After that he toes the rubber and gets 3 pitches.

yeah i'm rethinking that number. probably 78 or so is right. theres also a small chance he overdoes it in the days leading up to the bet

If he's still a terrific athlete of that size with that kind of football arm I'm not in love with under some number in the low 80's. It's probably a fair bet but it's not a bet the farm thing to me. The big thing with the training is getting somebody who can get him to use his body well and again all he has to concern himself with is mph not pitching. It's not about throwing hard for 10 days obviously. I've seen some natural athletes do some impressive things and ripping off a wild 83 mph fastball as a mid 20's guy who had an nfl type arm wouldn't exactly top the list.

jesus

i know plenty of really athletic guys who played baseball their entire lives who couldnt hit 80s

throwing a football 70 yds is insane though, so maybe he could do it.


i used to be able to touch 70 afaik and i played baseball since i was 5-19. ppl in this thread waaaaay over estimate the avg joe. there were a lot of kids i played with who would get nowhere near 70, im betting 5 years later without throwing a lot i might be able to throw 65 if i threw my arm out trying. more likely would be 55-60.

10 people off the street? 45. ive seen a lot of dudes throw like F*gs

I agree with this. I would bet the under that he doesn't have the knowledge to properly prepare himself to throw the over, it isn't that he couldn't do it.

My guess is that he will work with some guys he knows which won't be optimal, he will work in a way he thinks is great and then may touch 80.

3 pitches isn't a lot for a motion he doesn't ever do or just started the last few days.

the 70 yards with a football thing is such a wild card. i know it's a ton of arm strength but are there any extra muscles in a football throw that would be less useful in baseball? or vice versa?

fwiw the 70 yards with regulation football is 100% accurate. he won that bet :-/